The National leadership of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) has approved the appointment of a retired Major-General, Abdullahi Maikano, as the new acting Commander General of the Civilian JTF. The announcement was made on Saturday by the National Chairman of CJTF, Professor Kailani Muhammad, during the CJTF National Security Summit in Abuja. The summit was themed “Building a Resilient Nation: Strategic Partnerships for Peace, Stability and National Development”.
New Commander General to Formalise Civilian JTF
Professor Muhammad described the new Civilian JTF commander general as a military sports guru and expressed confidence that he would help formalise the CJTF through a robust blueprint. He recalled the turbulence 15 years ago when he established the CJTF, adding that its commitment was to complement the efforts of security agencies to enhance peace and unity in the country.
“The purpose of establishing this movement, the Civilian Joint Task Force (Civilian JTF), was to bring peace and unity to our country,” Muhammad said. “Whether you are from Edo State or you are from Orobo, Nupe, Hausa, Yoruba, or Igbo, this country belongs to all of us. We don’t have any other country apart from Nigeria. And God knows why he brought us together.”
He added: “So, I used to be happy when I see our people working with the security agencies to bring about this desire of peace and unity. When people are being trampled upon, people are being kidnapped, I mean innocent Nigerians. So, I think we have come of age. And from today, with the new Commander General, I as the Chairman, all our wishes start gazetting. And I believe we’re going to sit down to bring out a blueprint how Civilian JTF is going to excel. And how we are also going to partner with our international agencies worldwide. Already, we are partnering with West Africa. Already, I’ve talked to around 83 countries. I think we are good to go. And I’m happy.”
Maikano Vows to Support Security Agencies
Speaking with reporters shortly after his appointment, Mr. Maikano thanked the Civilian JTF management, chaired by Kailani Muhammad, for finding him worthy to lead the CJTF nationwide. “I thank God and the executive chairman of this Civilian JTF of Nigeria for finding me fit to handle this post of commander-general. It means this is a new perspective to me. I will sit down in my office, look at all the achievements made in the last 15 years for this organisation, and see how we are going to move forward.”
He continued: “I’m moving forward very fast, by the grace of God Almighty. So, if I tell you these are my plans, it’s like I’m trying to shorten what it’s supposed to be. But definitely we have a very robust plan, because as I said during my remarks, I said our role as civilian joint task force is complementary to the constituted security outfits. That’s the police, the armed forces, and other security agencies. We are complementing because complementing means we are going to support all their efforts because we know the terrain. We are going to lead for the terrain, and we are going to assist our brothers to bring peace and stability to our nation, Nigeria. This is because we don’t have any other country except Nigeria. We love our country, and we are going to support our security agencies.”
Summit Emphasises Strategic Partnerships
The National Security Summit, which brought together stakeholders from various sectors, focused on building a resilient nation through strategic partnerships for peace, stability, and national development. The appointment of a retired military officer as the acting Commander General marks a significant step in the formalisation and professionalisation of the Civilian JTF, which has operated for 15 years as a volunteer force supporting security operations across Nigeria.
